Belt-fastening machines



Aug. 18 1959 POTTER 2,899,680

BELT-FASTENING MACHINES Filed April128, 1958. 3' Sheets-Sheet 1 Altorne y Aug. 18, 1959 J. J= POTTER BELT-FASTENING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1958 F/GG 912 fww w Attorney Aug. 18, 1959 J. J. POTTER BELT-FASTENING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28, 1958 Inventor United States Patent BELT-FASTENING MACHINES John J. Potter, Sheflield, England, assignor to Hayden- Nilos Limited, Sheflield, England Application April 28, 1958, Serial No. 731,350 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 1, 1957 Claims. (Cl. 1-49. 1)

This invention relates to belt-fastening machines of the type in which a jaw unit is movable progressively across the end of a conveyor or driving belt to insert and clinch into the belt the pointed bent ends of hooks positioned in a row in a comb-bar located along the end of the belt, leaving the bases of the hooks projecting at the end as a row of loops to be linked to a similar row in another belt end by the insertion of a flexible hinge.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine that will satisfactorily and expeditiously insert double hooks of which one limb length of each is connected to the other to form a bridge over which the pointed bent ends of the other limb length of each are turned after penetration of the belt. This double type of hook has the merit of only needing two points to be formed on it, so that it can, in a preferred form, be very easily made from a length of wire pointed at both ends and bent to form two open hooks connected by an integral bridge, each hook having a single pointed bent end. It also has the advantage that the turning of the points over the bridge interposes the metal of the bridge as a resistance to lifting of the points out of the belt, which resistance is particularly effective if the points emerge from the belt inside the bridge and are then turned over to the outside of it.

In contradistinction to single hooks, which require each pointed length to be closed through similar angles to bring the points of each to and through the belt from opposite sides, it is only the two pointed lengths of a double hook that require to be closed through any considerable angle to effect penetration of the belt, but great care is necessary to position the open hook accurately with respect to the belt end and to ensure that the points are in correct relation to the bridge to emerge from the belt in position to be turned over the bridge.

According to the present invention, a belt-fastening machine for the insertion of double hooks as above defined comprises a jaw unit and a comb-bar, means to move the jaw unit progressively along the comb-bar with the latter disposed transversely to the jaws of the unit and with the jaws embracing the comb-bar to engage respectively when closed the lengths with the pointed bent ends and the bridged lengths of each double hook in turn of a row of hooks positioned in the comb-bar, clamping means to hold the edge of a belt against the comb-bar and inside a row of open double hooks mounted in the comb-bar, means for closing one jaw on to the bridged lengths of the hooks, and means for subsequently closingthe other jaw on to the pointed lengths of the hooks with a movement suflicient to cause the points to penetrate the belt and to be turned over the bridge by engagement with the jaw that has closed on to the bridged lengths.

The comb-bar must be loaded with the hooks in such manner that the pointed lengths and the bridged lengths are contacted by the appropriate jaws. As usual for such machines, a row of hooks may be assembled in a carrier sheet and inserted as a row into the bar, but

Patented Aug. 18, 1959 ice advantageously the hooks are connected in a row by a single length of wire welded along the inside of the bridged lengths of the hooks. This wire may serve to position the row of hooks in the comb-bar.

The two jaws are preferably closed by the actuation of common operating means, serving to position the jaw that is to engage the bridged ends before the jaw that is to engage the pointed ends makes its greater move ment. Thus, in a preferred construction, a slider operated by a crank, or screw, or toggle handles is connected by a link to the rear end of a lever pivoted in the jaw unit and bearing at its forward end the jaw that is to engage the pointed ends, the slider also carrying a member, preferably fitted with a roller, operating along a cam surface in the rear end of a second lever carrying the other jaw at its forward end, the projection moving along an inclined part of the cam to close the second lever before the movement of the slider has effected any appreciable closing movement of the first lever. For this purpose, the cam has a length parallel to the movement of the projection to hold the second lever in closed position throughout the remaining forward movement of the slider, after the inclined part has caused the second lever to move quickly into closed position. As the slide reaches its rearmost position on the reverse operation of the operating means, the inclined part quickly moves the second lever to open position.

The clamping means includes a fixed bar in line with the face of the jaw for pointed lengths when that face has been brought to closed position, and a movable bar that is brought into line with the closed position reached by the jaw for the bridged lengths, the jaws being disposed so as to operate close to these clamping bars. Alternatively, the jaw unit may have a fixed foot projecting beyond the jaw for the pointed lengths, and subsestantially in line with the face of that jaw when closed, the jaw for the bridged lengths having a corresponding presser foot slightly projecting beyond its face to grip the belt to the fixed foot before the jaw for the pointed lengths has closed on to those lengths.

To accommodate belts of different thicknesses, the jaw for the bridged lengths may be adjustable in its lever.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with respect to the accompanying drawings, which show the jaw unit and the comb-bar mounted in a machine with side frames across which extends clamping means for the belt.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan of the machine;

Figure 3 is a side view of open hooks mounted in a comb-bar ready to be applied to a belt;

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the hooks applied to the belt;

Figure 6 is a part-sectional side view of the jaws and their operating mechanism, with the jaws open;

Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 6, but shows the jaws closed;

Figures 8 to 10 are plan views of racking mechanism operated by the jaw operating mechanism;

Figure 11 is a section of a clamping device taken on the line XlXI of Figure 2, but showing a belt clamped by the device; and

Figure 12 is a section taken on the line XIIXII of Figure 11.

In Figures 1 and 2, side frames are formed largely of metal tube, providing upper and lower rails 1, 2, connected by a curved rear end 3, the forward ends 4 of the lower rails 2curving upwardly, so that the lower rails form skids for easy movement of the machine. Upright plates 6, 7 are welded between the rails 1, 2. The rear ends 3 are connected by welding to a tubular rear tie '8, and the front ends of the rails 1 are connected by 'welding to a front tie 9.

A round bar 1%) is carried between the rear plates 6, midway of their height, and has ratchet teeth 11 on its front face, pitched in accordance with the width of each double hook to be inserted. This provides for rear sliding support for a jaw unit 12, side plates 13 of which are recessed at their front ends 14 (Figure 6) to fit closely the circular rear side of a tubular comb-bar 15, which is mounted in a short boss 16 at the mid-height of one front plate 7 and in a corresponding but longer boss 17 in the other plate 7. The jaw unit 12 can thus slide transversely between the side frames of the machine.

The comb-bar 15 has a fiat vertical front face 13 with slots 19 spaced in accordance with the spacing of the wires forming the double hook As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each double hook consists of a length of wire bent to form a bridge 26 between two lengths 21, which, where they are connected by a finer wire 22 welded across them are parallel to each other and evenly spaced as between themselves and as between the adjoining lengths of the next hooks of the row embraced by the wire 22. The lengths 21 continue into base loops 23 and into parallel lengths 24 making a wide angle with the lengths 21 and bent up to end in points 25 facing the inside of the bridge 25} but leaving a gap between the points and the bridge sufficient for the thickness of a belt 26 to be inserted.

The Wire 22 determines the penetration of the loops 23 through the slots 19 into the comb-bar 15, and also ensures that the row of hooks must not be inserted in inverted position, otherwise a locking bar 27 cannot enter the loops 23 to fit behind the flat slotted face The bar 27 has a screwed boss 26 (Figure 2) to engage the internally screwed end 23 of the comb-bar 15, so that it may be retained in the machine when not in use.

Between the parallel lengths 21 and the bridge 2%), each double hook widens (see 34)) sufiiciently for the points 25, after passing through the belt 26, to pass inside the bridge, after which they are turned over the bridge (Figure The bridge 20 has two indentations 31 into which the turned-over points 25 fit.

The belt 26 is clamped between a fixed bar 32 of T- section, which serves as a front tie between the upwardly curved ends 4 of the bottom rails 2., to which it is welded, and a movable bar 33 of inverted channel section, with bevelled edges 34, urged downwardly by a strong spring 35 at each end, inside sheet metal housings 36 welded to the top rails 1 and the front tie 9. A stem 38 inside each spring has a flange 39 to bear on the top of the spring and is pivoted at 49 to a lever handle 41, which in turn is pivoted at 42 to the housing 36. When the lever handle 42 is inwardly of the top rail 1 as in Figure 2, the pivot 49 is above the pivot 42, but when the handle 42 is swung outwardly of the top rail 1 as in Figure 12, the pivot 4% is brought below the pivot 42, so that the applied leverage compresses the movable bar 33 on to the belt 26, the spring 35 compressing appropriately, and the position of the pivot 49 below the pivot 42 serving to hold the spring thus com aressed, the bevelled edges 34 firmly gripping the belt to the bar 32.

The upper face of the belt 26 is now held in line with the position reached by the upper jaw cheek 43 when closed. This jaw is mounted in a jaw lever 44 and is adjustable in height by a screw 45 with a knob 46, in accordance with belt thickness. A pivot pin 47 across the side plates 13 of the jaw unit 12 carries both the top jaw lever 44 and a bottom jaw lever 43, which carries a jaw cheek 49.

The rear end of the bottom lever 48 is pivoted at St} to two toggle links 51, which are pivoted to a pin 52 carried by sliders 53 guided by lengthwise slots 54- in the side plates 13. A pair of links 55 connect the pin 52 to a pivot 56 on an operating lever 57 pivoted at 58 to the rear ends of the plates 13. When the lever 57 is pushed forwardly, it pushes the pin 52 to the position shown in Figure 7, and this causes the links 51 to push downwardly the rear end of the bottom jaw lever 43, thus bringing the bottom jaw cheek 49 to the lengths 24 of the hooks having the points 25.

The rear of the top jaw lever 44 is pressed downwardly by a spring 59 (Figure 6) and is formed on its underside with a cam consisting of a short slightly-inclined part 66, a part 61 sharply-inclined downwardly, and a part 62 that is parallel to the slots 54 when the jaw cheek 43 is closed. When the lever 57 begins to move the pin 52 forwardly, a roller 63 on the pin soon encounters the sharp incline 61 of the cam and brings the top lever 44 and its jaw cheek 43 to the position shown in Figure 7 before the bottom lever 48 and its jaw cheek 49 have significantly moved. Thus, the jaw cheek 43 is pressed on to the lengths 21 of a double hook connected by a bridge 24 and holds these to the top face of the belt 26 before the bottom jaw check 49 has commenced any bending action on the lengths 23 that might disturb the relation of the double hook to the belt. The jaw cheek 43 is held in this closed position during the major forward movement of the pin 52, since this runs along the parallel part 62 of the cam. During that movement, the bottom jaw cheek 43 presses the points 25 of the double hook through the underside of the belt 26. As the points emerge, the encounter recesses 64 in the cheek 43, which turn them forwardly over the bridge 20, to the position shown in Figure 5.

On return of the lever 57, the jaws are opened in reverse sequence until the lower cheek 4% is clear of the next open hook in the row, and a pawl 65 (see Figures 8 to 10) on a vertical pivot 66 in one slider 53 is carried towards the teeth 11 on the bar 10. The pawl 65 is urged by a spring 67 towards the nearer side plate 13 into contact with a stop 63, in an oblique position that brings it just beyond the tip 69 of one tooth. As pressure on the pawl continues, it is forced into a more oblique position (Figure 10), which it can only assume by forcing the jaw unit 12 to slide transversely of the machine, until the pawl meets a second stop 70, so positioned that the jaw unit 12 has then slid by the length of one tooth 11, i.e., by the width of a double hook. The jaw cheeks 43, 49 are thus in position to be closed on to the next double hook. When they are next closed, to insert the points of the next hook, they also apply further pressure to the double hook last inserted. During the next for- Ward movement of the lever 57 to insert the next double hook, the pawl 65 is returned by the spring 67 to the stop 68.

Because of the space occupied by the pawl in reaching the first tooth 11, nearest the nearer side plate 6, the side plates 13 are spaced from that side of the machine. A stop 71 on one side plate correctly positions them for engagement of the first tooth 11 by the pawl 65, the stop 71 striking the plate 7 on that side of the machine. The boss 17 for the comb-bar 15 is then just clear of the side frame 13, its extra length providing added support for the comb-bar.

What I claim is:

1. A belt-fastening machine for inserting into the end of a belt double hooks, each consisting of two lengths of wire both connected together by a bridge and each connected to a bent and pointed length, the machine comprising a slotted comb-bar to receive a row of open hooks, clamping means to hold the edge of a belt against the comb-bar inside the open hooks, a jaw-unit movable progressively along the comb-bar, with two jaws facing opposite sides of the belt, means for closing one jaw to hold the bridged lengths of a double hook against one side of the belt, means for subsequently closing the other jaw to press the pointed lengths of the hook through the belt, and means for turning the points over the bridge.

2. A belt-fastening machine for inserting into the end of a belt double hooks each consisting of two lengths of wire both connected together by a bridge and each connected to a bent and pointed length, the machine comprising a slotted comb-bar to receive a row of open hooks, clamping means to hold the edge of a belt against the comb-bar inside the open hooks, a jaw-unit movable progressively along the comb-bar, with two jaws facing opposite sides of the belt, one of said jaws adapted to contact and bear upon the bent and pointed lengths of the hooks, and the second of said jaws to contact and bear upon the bridge connected lengths thereof, jaw levers carrying the respective jaws, common means movable along a predetermined path for actuating both of said jaw levers, an operative connection between said common actuating means and the lever for the first named jaw to move said lever progressively toward jaw closed position, and an operative connection between said common actuating means and the second named lever adapted to be brought into operation during the movement of said common means in the earlier portion of its path to move said second lever to close its jaw against the bridge connected lengths of the hooks before the first named jaw has closed its jaw against the bent and pointed lengths, and means for turning over the bridge of a hook the points pressed through the belt by the jaw for the pointed lengths.

3. A belt-fastening machine for inserting into the end of a belt double hooks each consisting of two lengths of wire both connected together by a bridge and each connected to a bent and pointed length, the machine comprising a slotted comb-bar to receive a row of open hooks, clamping means to hold the edge of a belt against the comb-bar inside the open hooks, a jaw-unit movable progressively along the comb-bar, with two jaws facing opposite sides of the belt, jaw levers carrying the respective jaws, a toggle link connected to the lever for the jaw for the pointed lengths of the double hooks, a slider movable lengthwise of the jaw-unit, an operating lever for moving the slider and the toggle link, a cam on the lever for the jaw for the bridged ends of the hooks, the cam being actuated by the slider and having a sharply-inclined lift engaged in the early movement of the slider in one direction, to close and then to hold closed the jaw for the bridged lengths before the continued movement of the slider and the toggle link closes the jaw for the pointed lengths, and means for turning over the bridge of a hook the points pressed through the belt by the jaw for the pointed lengths.

4. A belt-fastening machine for inserting into the end of a belt double hooks each consisting of two lengths of wire both connected together by a bridge and each connected to a bent and pointed length, the machine comprising a slotted comb-bar to receive a row of open hooks, clamping means to hold the edge of a belt against the comb-bar inside the open hooks, a jaw-unit movable progressively along the comb-bar, with two jaws facing opposite sides of the belt, jaw levers carrying the respective jaws, the jaw for the bridged lengths being adjustable in its jaw in accordance with the thickness of a belt to receive the hooks, means for closing one jaw to hold the bridged lengths of a double hook against one side of the belt, means for subsequently closing the other jaw to press the pointed lengths of the hook through the belt, and means for turning the points over the bridge.

5. A belt-fastening machine for inserting into the end of a belt double hooks each consisting of: two lengths of ire both connected together by a bridge and each connected to a bent and pointed length, the machine comprising a slotted comb-bar to receive a row of open hooks, clamping means to hold the edge of a belt against the comb-bar inside the open hooks, a jaw-unit movable progressively along the comb-bar, with two jaws facing opposite sides of the belt, jaw levers carrying the respective jaws at their forward ends, a toggle link at the rear end of the lever for the jaw for the pointed ends, a pivot pin slidable lengthwise of the jaw unit, slots to guide the pin, an operating lever, a link connecting the lever to the pin, which in turn is connected by the toggle link to the rear end of the said lever, a roller on the pin, a cam surface on the rear end of the lever for the jaw for the bridged ends, with an incline engaged early in the forward movement of the pin, followed by a portion parallel to the movement of the pin, so that the jaw for the bridged ends of a double hook is closed before the continued movement of the pin causes the other jaw to close the pointed lengths, and is then held closed and means for turning over the bridge of a hook the points pressed through the belt by the closing of the pointed lengths.

No references cited. 

